South Brunswick rallies for a win in 3A baseball finals

Jenkins delivers the game winning RBI in the seventh

South Brunswick and South Rowan battled in an exciting opener to the NCHSAA Class 3A baseball state finals, Friday at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs, with the boys from Brunswick rallying for a 4-3, come-from-behind victory.

The Cougars can sweep the series and claim the state title when the two teams meet again on Saturday afternoon at Ting Stadium.

After falling behind 3-0, South Brunswick started its comeback with a single run in the fourth on an RBI single by Banks Hartman. Patrick Boldt doubled home Luke Dligard with the second run in the fifth and the Cougars tied the game when Jaylend Clemmons’ RBI triple plated Hartman.

This set the stage for Walter Jenkins, who drove home pinch runner Jameson Prince with a single in the top of the seventh, with the winning run.

South Rowan jumped on top, 2-0, in the first inning after Jacob Ritchie’s single to left was misplayed for an error, allowing Ty Hubbard to race home with the first run and allowing Ritchie to reach second. Ritchie then scored on a single by Maiden Leffew. The Raiders third run scored thanks to a pair of errors in the bottom of the second.